Iligan City placed under MECQ due to limited health care capacity

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 1) – The limited health care capacity of Iligan City is the reason for the reimposition of the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the town until September 30, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“The number of COVID-19 cases in Iligan is not that high. The problem with Iligan is they have no hospital there so the patients need to be transported to Cagayan de Oro,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

Resolution No. 67 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases stated that Iligan City was placed under MECQ due to “increasing average daily growth rate of cases.”

In an interview with CNN Philippines’ Rico Hizon on Tuesday night, Iligan City Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz assured they are limiting people going outside of their homes and will allow only those who will buy essential goods for their household.

“Most of the people are advised to stay at home and we will establish checkpoints in every barangays and puroks,” said Vera Cruz, who revealed he tested positive for COVID-19 after getting exposed to their city councilor who also contracted the virus.

The vice mayor added it was on the last week of July when Iligan City saw a surge in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Based on the latest tally of the Iligan City Health Emergency Management Surveillance Unit, the city now has 312 confirmed COVID-19 infections along with 10 deaths and 121 recoveries.